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Data from prospective studies clearly demonstrate the efficacy of prophylactic treatment of haemophilia in reducing joint- or life-threatening bleeding and the associated consequences for quality of life. Debate remains, however, regarding the optimal implementation of prophylaxis. Our aim in this review was to identify a best practice approach to factor replacement prophylaxis in boys with haemop
Group A streptococcus (GAS) is one of the most common of bacterial pathogens infecting humans, frequently causing throat and skin infection. Some GAS strains have surface-expressed virulence factors called M proteins that bind human plasminogen with high affinity. Plasminogen is a central component of the human fibrinolytic system, and is bound by an M protein termed PAM through defined binding mo
This thesis is concerned with the swelling behavior of polyelectrolyte gels. The thesis can be divided into two parts. Part one deals with the modeling and computer simulation of the gel swelling. The second part contains experimental results from the binding of oppositely charged surfactant to a polyacrylate network and a theoretical model for the swelling in the presence of a "skin" around the g
In preindustrial society, the loss of a spouse usually impelled the surviving party to adapt quickly by choosing between certain strategies: to remain the head of the household, to remarry, to enter a household headed by a child or the spouse of child, to dissolve the household and enter into an unrelated person's household, or to migrate out of the parish. The use of competing-risk hazard models
The main objective of this thesis was to investigate the fate of photoreceptor cells when using different strategies for retinal cell transplantation. Comparing transplantation of fragments of embryonic retina with cell suspensions of the same tissue we found that transplantation of fragments of embryonic retina result in mature transplants with a higher degree of cellular organization than transp
The parasympathetic nerves are important for the regulation of insulin secretion, in particular after meal intake. Apart from acetylcholine, several neuropeptides can be found in the parasympathetic nerves innervating the islets of Langerhans, including gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) and pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP). Exogenous administration of either GRP or PACAP ha
The Gram-negative genus of Helicobacter consists of many bacterial species that colonize a wide range of animal hosts. The genus can be divided into gastric species that colonize the stomach, and enteric species that preferentially colonize the colon and biliary tree of various animal hosts. Helicobacter pylori cause gastritis, gastro-duodenal ulcer disease and gastric adenocarcinoma and lymphoma
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex autoimmune disease in which environmental factors interact with genetic factors in the development of the disease process and evolution of clinical manifestations. In this thesis both exogenous factors and host factors were investigated, as well as important immunopathological aspects including involvement of immune complex (IC), the complement syste
Purpose: To compare the visualization of small ischemic brain lesions using diffusion using diffusion-weighted (DW) MRI and conventional imaging, with special regard to diagnostic efficiency. Imaging features of lesions of different ages, diagnostic limitations and technical principles were also investigated. Methods: All studies were performed with the same 1.5 T MR scanner. In the first study t
Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) are believed to be remains of germ-line infections that have become fixed in the population. They are involved in pathophysiological conditions, in mechanisms leading to infection protection, and directly in the physiology of the organism by participating in the regulation of cellular gene expression. It has been estimated that human ERVs (HERVs) make up about 0.6% o
The incidence of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) is increasing. The risk of rupture is related to diameter. However, rupture may occur also in small AAA. To evaluate the size of an aneurysm when related to the predicted normal aortic diameter might be a better predictor of risk. AAA:s, range 40-55 mm were studied in relation to gender. No difference in AAA diameter was found. However, body surfac
The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic potentials of four different biochemical markers, serum cobalamin, blood folate, plasma homocysteine and serum methylmalonic acid for diagnosis of cobalamin/folate deficiency in a psychogeriatric population. The second aim was to investigate the relationship between these markers and various clinical and functional parameters of the nervous syst
In stabilising extracapsular hip fractures, the Medoff sliding plate (MSP) differs from other screw-plates by its compression capacity along the femoral shaft (uniaxial dynamization). Additional compression along the neck of femur can be achieved by primary release of the lag screw (biaxial dynamization). 244 consecutive inter- and subtrochanteric fractures in 243 elderly patients were fixed with
The aim of this thesis was to characterise the biological functions of the superantigen staphylococcal enterotoxin H (SEH). Superantigens are highly immunostimulatory proteins, which crosslink T cells and antigen presenting cells (APCs). SEH is included in a family of staphylococcal enterotoxins (SEs) produced by certain strains of Staphylococcus aureus. The three-dimensional fold of SEH was dete
Polyelectrolytes and oppositely charged surfactants interact through attractive electrostatic forces, which in many cases lead to phase separation already at low total concentrations. During the past 10-15 years investigations of these systems have been simplified through the use of complex salts that consist of surfactants with polymeric counterions in a 1:1 charge stoichiometry (no excess simple
The Mg2+ and Mn2+ structures of calbindin D9k have been determined and they reveal a conformational change compared to the structures of apo and (Ca2+)2-calbindin D9k. These findings are unique, since normally calcium and not magnesium is known to induce conformational changes of EF-hand proteins. It has also been shown that calbindin D9k
The aim of this thesis was to study the transfer of solutes across the alveolo-capillary barrier in experimental models of alveolar surfactant dysfunction and lung injury as well as in smokers. Experimental studies were performed in anaesthetized, and mechanically ventilated animals. Surfactant dysfunction was induced by administration of a synthetic detergent in aerosol form. Lung injury was indu
